Monday, January 26, 2015

I did it! I started and finished book five on Sunday. The recommendation came from my youngest daughter who just LOVED this book. Let me give you the advice she gave me, though. Do not start Chapter 13 unless you are ready to finish it. SO if you have 20 minutes of reading time left for lunch or whatever and Chapter 13 comes along...stop!

The book? Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson. It's a story about a shy teenager, Emily, whose best friend and family have left suddenly and without explanation. The best friend mails Emily a list of things to do, not an uncommon thing for her friend to do, and Emily believes that maybe the answer to where her friend is will be obvious to her after she finishes everything on the list.

Interested? Check it out http://hubbard.bibliocommons.com/item/show/6733297048_since_youve_been_gone

How are you doing with the reading challenge? Missed what the challenge is all about? Click to read the original blog post. Follow the links within the post to get to the list of categories for the reading challenge. Email me and let me know if you are going to do the challenge with me!

Friday, January 16, 2015

Book Four: A Book You Can Read In One DayI thought long and hard about this category, probably too much. Yes, I could choose a picture book or humor and get it over with, but was that really fair to the challenge? to me? No. Instead of taking the easy way out, I chose a book that I read some decent reviews of but just hadn't gotten around to looking at. The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak comes out in May of 2015 but I owuld definitely put it on a list to pre-order or to place on hold at the library. It is great for anyone who knows and loves a certain Levi, or is looking for their own Park, maybe even someone who knows someone who has longed over Alaska. If you get the references... you'll LOVE this book. If you don't, let's talk, You have some really good books you've missed out on. From the publisher:

About the Book

Perfect for fans of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight,The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak is Stonewall Award-winning author Brian Katcher's hilarious he said/she said romance about two teens discovering themselves on an out-of-this-world accidental first date at a sci-fi convention.

When Ana Watson's brother ditches a high school trip to run wild at Washingcon, type-A Ana knows that she must find him or risk her last shot at freedom from her extra-controlling parents.

In her desperation, she's forced to enlist the last person she'd ever want to spend time with—slacker Zak Duquette—to help find her brother before morning comes.

But over the course of the night, while being chased by hordes of costumed Vikings and zombies, Ana and Zak begin to open up to each other. Soon, what starts as the most insane nerdfighter manhunt transforms into so much more. . . .

Missed what the challenge is all about? Click to read the original blog post. Follow the links within the post to get to the list of categories for the reading challenge. Email me and let me know if you are going to do the challenge with me!

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Oh my! So I finished book two and book three. If you've joined our GoodReads group, then you will notice that there are 50 topics open to share the book you read when you finish it. Do you have to? No, but if we all share what we are reading then we will have a pretty nice book list of recommendations when we are done!

Book 2: A Nonfiction Book

Reinventing You by Dorrie Clark

Interesting. I'm not one to enjoy self-help books but her examples were realistic and her proposed activities at least made sense. Really don't see myself quizzing friends to get opinions of myself, but more power to anyone who tries it!

BOOK 3: A Book You Started But Never Finished

Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers

This is the third book of the His Fair Assassins series and for some reason when I first picked it up I just could not get into it. The first in the series was Grave Mercy and I LOVED the strength of the female characters. Annith quickly becomes someone you want to learn more about and I was eager to read more when Dark Triumph came out. SO what was the hang up with Mortal Heart? Maybe it was that knowledge that once I finish the book, the trilogy is over. No more strong woman assassins look for marques and killing off bad guys... but WOW! after you get three or four chapters in, book three will have you so wrapped up in Annith's world that you won't be able to put the book down. And what happens when you have to work and can't sit and read... you'll be wondering if Annith is ok. Guess what? It's FICTION! But you will still be worrying about her and her sister assassins!!

Missed what the challenge is all about? Click to read the original blog post. Follow the links within the post to get to the list of categories for the reading challenge. Email me and let me know if you are going to do the challenge with me!

Thursday, January 8, 2015

I finished my first book in the challenge! I chose a book that hasn't been released yet, so I can't quote from it until I see the finished product, but let me just tell you... Nightingale by Kristin Hannah should be on your TO PURCHASE TBR pile!

The book is scheduled for release on February 3, 2015 and is available for pre-order from your favorite book store or to be placed on hold at the Hubbard Public Library.
A description from our catalog:
: "From the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes Kristin Hannah's next novel. It is an epic love story and family drama set at the dawn of World War II. She is the author of twenty-one novels. Her previous novels include Home Front, Night Road, Firefly Lane, Fly Away, and Winter Garden"-- "Viann and Isabelle have always been close despite their differences. Younger, bolder sister Isabelle lives in Paris while Viann lives a quiet and content life in the French countryside with her husband Antoine and their daughter. When World War II strikes and Antoine is sent off to fight, Viann and Isabelle's father sends Isabelle to help her older sister cope. As the war progresses, it's not only the sisters' relationship that is tested, but also their strength and their individual senses of right and wrong. With life as they know it changing in unbelievably horrific ways, Viann and Isabelle will find themselves facing frightening situations and responding in ways they never thought possible as bravery and resistance take different forms in each of their actions. Vivid and exquiste in its illumination of a time and place that was filled with great monstrosities, but also great humanity and strength, Kristin Hannah's novel will provoke thought and discussion that will have readers talking long after they turn the last page"--Watch the comments for this post and I will post my favorite quote and my own review once the book is published. Trust me, you will want to check this one out!For info about the reading challenge, please click here to read the post.

Saturday, January 3, 2015

What are you planning to read in 2015?

Are you up for a challenge?

Ready to kick this year off with a pile of books?

Me too! So here is what I'm thinking. You know we are hosting a Readathon on January 24 at the Hubbard Public Library, right? No, no pledges or collecting pennies per page, just good, old fashioned hanging out and reading together. So when you come in on that Saturday and register for the Readathon, pick up a copy of Popsugar's 2015 Reading Challenge. Do you have to? No. You can just come hang out and read at the Readathon, get your prize, bond with fellow readers, etc... or

you can challenge and possibly defeat Amy from Our Place @HPL

(me! from HPL Teen Room) by completing more of the challenge than I do. Of course, I just gave you the link to the list, so you can start the challenge now and find me at the Readathon to see how far along I am in the challenge. I am keeping track of each book (1 per designation even if it can fit several) and will updating my progress on this blog by providing you with my mini reviews of each book and some possible recommendations. (I am starting the challenge today, Jan 3, since it's the first day I told you about it- keeping it fair. Plus, most of the books I read will be YA because I am the Teen Librarian, but not all so don't get caught up in the classification of what you are reading, just in how it fits the challenge.)

What do you have to do? Simply keep a copy of the list, read the books (1 per designation) and list the author/title you read for each one. How will I know you read it? I will just have to trust the haggard look you'll have from reading 52 books this year, the gleam from having found the bottom of your TBR pile and the way every time I see you, you either exclaim. "OMG you have to read....!" or "I can't believe you made me do this!"

Register to challenge me so I know how many people are participating by emailing me (amy@beyond-books.org) with a message that says, "2015 Reading Challenge" with your name. There's probably a prize in it at the end if you can actually complete more of the challenge than I do- we'll check with some of our awesome local supporters..I thinking pizza is a necessity with this much reading, don't you? Hello? Pizza Works? Can I get a white pizza (oh, it's the best!!) if I complete all 52 books?*******************************************************************************

Watch this site for updates on all the books Amy is reading for the challenge or Tweet with her using #HubbardReads.